IBD: Stem cell therapy feasible, safe and beneficial for fistulizing Crohn's disease.

摘要

Local injection of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has potential as a therapy for refractory fistulizing Crohn's disease, offering hope to patients who have this notoriously difficult to treat and disabling manifestation of Crohn's disease. In their phase I-II trial, Rachel Ciccocioppo and colleagues harvested bone marrow and isolated MSCs from 12 patients-11 had actively draining complex perianal fistulas and one had numerous enterocutaneous fistulas. The MSCs were successfully expanded ex vivo (to at least 50 x 106 cells) and injected into the fistulas of 10 of the patients (two withdrew from the study). Injections were scheduled every 4 weeks, a median of four injections given and patients were followed up for 12 months (by clinical, surgical, endoscopic and MRI evaluation).